His heart beat against mine, showing me I wasn’t the only one with complicated feelings here. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Either way, I didn’t know what to make of it. I just knew I had to cherish his touch before the buzz wore off and he came to his full senses again.
Then, just like that, he pulled back and the moment was over. Cold filled the space between us.
“I’m heading to bed,” he said before disappearing up the stairs to his room.
My heart was still going a mile a minute.
If Wes had been up all night with insomnia yesterday, tonight was going to be my turn.
CHAPTER 10
Juliette
The next morning, I sat in the kitchen drinking coffee while Wes swam laps in the pool. The double doors were wide open, giving me a clear view, and I enjoyed the sight of his muscular arms slicing through the water. After about ten minutes, he swam to the ladder and climbed out. It all happened in slow motion. Water streamed down his chiseled pecs, tracing every line of muscle across his torso. His hair was slicked back, darker from the water, which made his jaw look even more sculpted than usual. His shoulders were broad, waist narrow, and his skin glistened in the early-morning sunlight. I licked my lips as I imagined catching the droplets with my tongue.
Eyes still glued to the man outside, I’d lifted my mug for another gulp of coffee when the phone rang, jolting me so hard the liquid nearly sloshed over the rim.Jeez, I really need to get a hold of myself.I swiped the cell from the table and answered.
“Hello?”
“I really hope I dialed the wrong number,” a woman’s snarky voice said.
I didn’t recognize it. “Umm... I think you might have. Who are you looking for?”
“Wes.”
Wes?Who the heck would call my phone looking for… Oh wait. I pulled the cell away from my ear and flipped it over. We both had iPhones with black cases—mine glossy, his matte, and this one had no shine to it.
I lifted the cell back to my ear. “Hang on a second. I’ll get him for you.” I stood to take the phone outside, but curiosity got the best of me. “Umm… Can I tell him who this is, please?”
She huffed. “Amber.”
I rolled my eyes.Of course, it’s Amber.
Out in the yard, I held out the phone while covering the mouthpiece. “Sorry. I answered your phone thinking it was mine. It’s someone named Amber.”
Wes frowned, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the person calling or because I’d answered. Either way, it wasn’t my problem. I went back inside to give him some privacy. A few minutes later, he came into the kitchen and went to the cappuccino maker.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “Hope I didn’t get you in any trouble.”
He glanced at me, then went back to making his espresso. “It’s fine.”
I waited through the gurgle of the water being pulled through, the hiss of the espresso pour, and the sharp spit of the steamed frothing milk. By the time he was done, my cheeks were probably as hot as his stupid coffee. “So…who’s Amber?”
Wes turnedand narrowed his eyes. “Did she give you a hard time or something?”
“No, but she wasn’t exactly Miss Sunshine.”
He nodded. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. Is she…a girlfriend?”
He leaned a hip against the kitchen counter, sipping his cappuccino and watching me over the brim. “Just someone I used to see from time to time.”
“What does that mean? A booty call?”
“Just a casual relationship I had back in New York.”
I scoffed. “Booty call.”
